Getting Started: Staff

This page is for CSAIL Staff to quickly get an overview of what services are available and how to get them, as well as recommended computing best practices.

Accounts

MIT and CSAIL both have their own user accounts. Most CSAIL users will need both.

CSAIL Account

Access to just about everything TIG has to offer is granted via your CSAIL Kerberos name and password. You can obtain a user account, and optionally a CSAIL email account, by filling out the application form: Request an account here. You will need to provide your research group, supervisor, and type of appointment, as well as a working (existing) email address such as GMail or mit.edu.

Staff CSAIL accounts do not expire and do not need renewal. They are active through your employment with CSAIL.

MIT Account

Your MIT account will provide you access to all MIT’s services, software, and Atlas (a single online gateway for administrative systems.) Your MIT Kerberos account is sometimes referred to as an Athena or email account. Sign up using the MIT Kerberos account registration page.

New staff must sign up for an MIT and CSAIL account as early as possible. They must have both before they receive their laptop and log into MIT / CSAIL services

Certificates

MIT Certificates are a safe, optional way for MIT web applications to identify you without you needing to type in a username and password.

See Accounts and Authentication for more info

CSAIL Website Profile

One of the most common tasks all new and existing CSAIL members have is getting their public profile on the CSAIL web site and up to date with biographical and bibliographical content. See this page to get started.

CSAIL Email

See Email and Communicating for more info

Slack

Slack is a popular messaging and collaboration platform. MIT provides Slack Enterprise Grid, a messaging and collaboration tool for teams, groups and individuals. With Slack Enterprise Grid, MIT faculty, students, and staff are eligible to create Slack workspaces and all members of the extended MIT community are eligible to participate in MIT’s Slack workspaces.

Printing

Dropbox

IS&T has licensed the Dropbox for Business service for the entire MIT community.

Any MIT / CSAIL related files you work on should be saved and accessed on MIT Dropbox. Avoid saving files locally to your computer.

Dropbox highlights

New Hardware

If you are a new hire or needing to replacing your laptop, below is TIG’s hardware recommendation. Note, the budget and approval is entirely up to your groups’ administrators. TIG is happy to place the order — just please provide a cost object in the request. Orders will be placed on behalf of the new user or their supervisor and shipped accordingly.

The new user or supervisor will receive a letter and asset tag from the MIT property office. Please be sure letter is filled out, returned, and sticker affixed

New hardware can take 4 weeks to ship, therefore we recommend placing the order as soon as a new hire is official. If possible, TIG recommends each group has one spare.

Laptop Recommendation

Software

TIG provides support, installation, and troubleshooting of Windows, MacOS, and CSAIL Ubuntu, and well as most MIT provided business applications. Some MIT business applications such as SAPgui and MIT Mail, for example, we can only provide our best effort support as we do not have administrative control or access to these applications.

TIG can have all the required software installed for a new hire / new laptop, provided the laptop is given to us in a few days advance.

Security

Laptop Security

Passwords

Phishing

Phishing is a ploy to get you to click on bogus links or disclose your username and password, giving attackers a way to capture sensitive data, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. Learn about the latest attacks. Don’t ever answer requests for passwords via email or telephone. Neither TIG nor IS&T will ever ask for your password in an email.

If you think you might have responded to a phishing attempt. Change your passwords ASAP and contact us.

Learn more about phishing at MIT and CSAIL

Accessories and Equipment Loaning

TIG has a variety of equipment available for short-term loans, including projectors, laptops, and conference phones. These items can be reserved and booked in advance. Some smaller equipment items, such as adapters and cables, are loan or given out by TIG on a first-come first-serve basis. You must visit TIG for these items.

Please visit the TIG Equipment System, “quip” to browse and reserve, or come to [TIG in 32-270] and we may have it!

Getting Help

TIG is a resource for all your computing and facility related needs. Contact us to report everything from a broken door handle to a problem with a server or email. We encourage any feedback, and welcome all to stop in room 270 any time and meet the TIG staff.

E-mail: help@csail.mit.edu

Come visit us on the second floor of the Stata Center, in 32-270. We’d be happy to see you.

32 Vassar St 32-270

You can also reach us by phone. You can leave a voice mail if we are unavailable.

Phone: 617-253-8304

When leaving an off-hour message via voicemail you may be waking up an uncaffeinated sysadmin. Reserve off-hour voicemails for emergencies only.